More than 400 participants caught up on the latest developments and progress in the bioplastics industry at the 7th European Bioplastics Conference on 6 and 7 November in Berlin. [ + ]

Submissions are being sought on Application A1074 - Minimum L-histidine in Infant Formula Products, which involves a proposed change to infant formula requirements in the Food Standards Code. [ + ]

Winners of the 2012 Australian Supply Chain and Logistics Awards have been announced by the Supply Chain and Logistics Association of Australia. [ + ]

Some children who have mild egg allergies can tolerate small amounts of baked hen’s egg, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, and 55% may outgrow their allergy entirely. [ + ]

The Australian Brewery Association has spoken out in opposition to the proposed national container deposit scheme, suggesting it unfairly puts pressure on beverage producers and consumers. [ + ]

Quinn glass will relaunch its specialist bottling division, rebranding its bottling arm as Cobevco. The division will bottle beverages that are bulk imported into the UK, as well as those produced domestically. [ + ]

FSANZ has released consultation papers on proposed cost recovery arrangements for health claims applications and proposed changes to its Application Handbook. [ + ]

Broadcast on Radio National’s Bush Telegraph program, the inaugural AgTalks event will ponder the topic ‘Australians don’t care where their food comes from, as long as it’s cheap and looks good’. [ + ]

Spice allergies are on the rise, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. With the increasing use of spices in the American diet and cosmetics, allergists anticipate more Americans will succumb to these allergies. [ + ]

To boost self-control, gargle sugar water. According to a University of Georgia professor of psychology, a mouth rinse with glucose improves self-control. [ + ]

The percentage of the world’s population aged 60 and over will reach 22% by 2050, presenting both challenges and opportunities for the food industry. Leatherhead’s new report discusses both. [ + ]

The Electrical Trades Union says investigations reveal ongoing issues in some of Queensland’s major food-production factories. [ + ]

A West Australian salad processor has been fined $40,000, plus $12,000 costs, after one of its employees had two fingers amputated when opening a belt slicer. [ + ]

Recent research has shown that consumers have a strong preference for clear plastic clamshell packaging over printed cardboard boxes, with 402% more purchases recorded for clamshells. [ + ]

A team of researchers has determined that consumers are not getting all the information they need to make informed decisions about fish consumption. [ + ]